Improvement in heel-shaves



J. H. SANFORD.

Heel-Shaver.

rNo. 128,757. Y Patenredluly 9,1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OR TOOHARLES F. SYLVESTER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEEL-SHAVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,757, dated July 9, 1872.

To all whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. SANFORD, of North Bridgewater, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have inv ven ted a new and useful Improvement in Heel- Shaves; and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front or face view of my improved heel-shave. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. Sis a transverse section taken throughout the center of the knife. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the knife.

Heretofore, as far as my knowledge extends, shaves for trimming the edges of boots and shoes, in which the guard was made removable to enable the knife to be ground without separatingit from the stock, have had their knives and guards formed with a single longitudinal curvature, such being for the purpose of enabling the knife to operate to better advantage in the shank and on the curved portions of the sole than if made flat or straight. It `has been found that in grinding the knives so made the middle portion of the edge soon becomes hollowed out, while the extremities of the edge remain in their normal condition or but slightly reduced. This is owing to the difficulty of bringing such end portions of the knife-to bear upon the stone while the knife is being ground. These projecting corners of the knife are not only objectionable, as they are liable to gouge or cut the upper, especially if the knife is much worn; but the knife soon becomes so hollowed out as to be unfit for use. To remedy these evils, and produce a shave that shall operate with a drawing-stroke while cutting, is the object of my invention, which consists in forming both the knife andthe guard with compound curvatures, whereby the knife is made of much greater width near its middle and where the greater portions of the Wear come, and so as to enable it to be ground nearly its entire length without leaving any projecting corners, under the action of the grinding, to cut into or inj urethe upper while the shave is in use, while, by giving this additional curvature to the edge, the knife cuts with a drawing-stroke, and thereby operates to much better advantage than those of the ordinary construction, while it also lasts much longer.

In the said drawing, a a, denotes the stock or handle of the tool; b, the knife, which is irmly secured to the stock by means of screws or in any other proper manner. The said knife is not only formed with a curved convex outer surface, g, but with a curved edge, g', as shown in Fig. l. Immediately in front of the edge of the knife is placed an adjustable guard, C, that can be moved toward and away from the edge of the knife by means of the holes d d and the set-screws e e, as shown in Figs. l and 2, or removed from the stock whenever desirable. The guard Gis also formed with a com- `pound curvature,ff, corresponding with that of the knife, as shown in the lastnamed iig- -uresf From the above it will be seen that I have not only obviated the evils incident to this class of tools as ordinarily constructed, but I producev a shave not only more durable, but one which will operate to better effect in trimming or reducing the edge of the sole of a boot or shoe.

I do not claim fixing the knife rigidly to the stock, and combining therewith a guard which may be adjusted with respect to the knife, or removed from the stock at pleasure, as I am aware that such is not new.

What I claim is- The improved heel-shave, as made, with its knife and guard having the compound curvatures, as shown and described.

JOSEPH H. SANFORD.

Witnesses J L. MORGAN,

J. M. SULLIVAN. 

